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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Lords consider mental health laws | Lords consider mental health laws |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The House of Lords has begun a detailed consideration of proposals to introduce tougher mental health laws. | |
| The new government bill would allow the enforced detention of people who are mentally ill, even if they have not committed any crime. | The new government bill would allow the enforced detention of people who are mentally ill, even if they have not committed any crime. |
| It also suggests strengthening powers established in 1983 to ensure patients have therapy once they are released back into the community. | It also suggests strengthening powers established in 1983 to ensure patients have therapy once they are released back into the community. |
| Critics of the bill say it would fail to safeguard the rights of patients. | Critics of the bill say it would fail to safeguard the rights of patients. |
| Health Minister Rosie Winterton said the bill would reflect changes to mental health services in recent years. | Health Minister Rosie Winterton said the bill would reflect changes to mental health services in recent years. |
| "We have made it very clear in the bill that appropriate treatment has to be available for detention to take place," she said. | "We have made it very clear in the bill that appropriate treatment has to be available for detention to take place," she said. |
| Ensure medication | Ensure medication |
| Current laws do not allow people with severe personality disorders who have committed no offence to be detained. | Current laws do not allow people with severe personality disorders who have committed no offence to be detained. |
| The government wants to give the right to force patients who have been released into the community to take their medication, even if they do not want to. | The government wants to give the right to force patients who have been released into the community to take their medication, even if they do not want to. |
| It also wants to detain people with personality orders who are described as untreatable, even if they have not committed a crime. | It also wants to detain people with personality orders who are described as untreatable, even if they have not committed a crime. |
| I think the idea that somehow this bill is going to prevent homicides and violent assaults is a mistake. Professor Sheila HollinsRoyal College of Psychiatrists | I think the idea that somehow this bill is going to prevent homicides and violent assaults is a mistake. Professor Sheila HollinsRoyal College of Psychiatrists |
| Doctors and campaigners argue the bill erodes the rights of patients without making the public any safer. | Doctors and campaigners argue the bill erodes the rights of patients without making the public any safer. |
| About 50 Labour MPs have already signalled their intention to oppose the bill, which would apply to England and Wales. | About 50 Labour MPs have already signalled their intention to oppose the bill, which would apply to England and Wales. |
| The changes would affect about 14,000 of the 600,000 people who use mental health services each year. | The changes would affect about 14,000 of the 600,000 people who use mental health services each year. |
| Professor Sheila Hollins, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said the bill would not help all people with mental health problems. | Professor Sheila Hollins, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said the bill would not help all people with mental health problems. |
| "I think the idea that somehow this bill is going to prevent homicides and violent assaults is a mistake. | "I think the idea that somehow this bill is going to prevent homicides and violent assaults is a mistake. |
| "In some ways there is a possibility that by increasing stigma associated with mental illness we will actually deter people from coming forward." | "In some ways there is a possibility that by increasing stigma associated with mental illness we will actually deter people from coming forward." |
| Added power | Added power |
| Wendy Robinson, whose daughter was killed by a schizophrenic, said more needed to be done to identify potentially dangerous people before they caused harm. | Wendy Robinson, whose daughter was killed by a schizophrenic, said more needed to be done to identify potentially dangerous people before they caused harm. |
| "A lot of people are not picked up, they are not taken in and treated before something goes wrong. | "A lot of people are not picked up, they are not taken in and treated before something goes wrong. |
| "I do think there needs to be an added part of the law where they can actually take somebody in, section them and look after them." | "I do think there needs to be an added part of the law where they can actually take somebody in, section them and look after them." |
| She added: "As the mother of a victim, the victim is not taken away and looked after - that person is taken to a mortuary. | She added: "As the mother of a victim, the victim is not taken away and looked after - that person is taken to a mortuary. |
| "That is the reality for people who are having to deal with people who are killed unnecessarily." | "That is the reality for people who are having to deal with people who are killed unnecessarily." |
| Previous bills | Previous bills |
| The bill was promised in the Queen's Speech and comes after previous attempts to change the act were thwarted by opposition from campaigners and doctors. | The bill was promised in the Queen's Speech and comes after previous attempts to change the act were thwarted by opposition from campaigners and doctors. |
| The government published a draft Mental Health Bill in 2002, but dropped it last March. | The government published a draft Mental Health Bill in 2002, but dropped it last March. |
| Instead of replacing the old laws, the latest bill proposes amending the existing act from 1983. | Instead of replacing the old laws, the latest bill proposes amending the existing act from 1983. |
| The desire to change the law was largely driven by Michael Stone's 1998 conviction for the brutal murders of Lin and Megan Russell. | The desire to change the law was largely driven by Michael Stone's 1998 conviction for the brutal murders of Lin and Megan Russell. |